Experienced officers driven from policing by unsustainable workloads

27 August 2025

Experienced officers driven from policing by unsustainable workloads

Experienced officers are being driven from the Job by unsustainable workloads, lack of work-life balance, and increased scrutiny, Leicestershire Police Federation Chair Andy Spence has warned.

95 officers left Leicestershire Police voluntarily last year - around 4 per cent of its workforce, in reflection of a growing national trend.

“We are seeing officers who are utterly exhausted. They’ve got no work-life balance whatsoever,” he warned.

Officers are struggling under heavy caseloads, extended shifts, and an environment where even minor mistakes can lead to prolonged investigations. “We've got people who are working seven days in a row, sometimes 15-hour days. That isn't fair on them, and it isn't fair on the public they're trying to serve, Andy said.

Andy said that a growing number of career breaks also reflect the strain. “These are experienced officers - detectives with nearly 20 years in - who are choosing to walk away, often into jobs with lower pay but better work-life balance.”

Examples include officers moving into roles as train drivers or even academic positions, simply to escape the demands of policing. One leaving officer told Andy he was taking a pay cut “so can take my leave, my weekends aren’t cancelled, and no one’s calling me after hours”.

He also criticised the growing burden placed on police to pick up responsibilities from other public services. “Nobody wants a cop to turn up to a mental health crisis. We are not the right people to be dealing with that, or social care issues on a Friday at 5pm,” he said.

Worryingly, Andy pointed out that officers on career breaks still appear in official numbers, creating a misleading impression of staffing levels. “On paper the force might show 2,200 officers, but if hypothetically 100 are on career break, those are roles not being covered.”

He called for a fundamental review of expectations placed on officers and better support systems to keep experienced staff from walking away.

“We try to do the best job possible, but when we’re doing more with fewer people, something has to give,” he added.

Nationally 8,795 police officers left the 43 police forces in England and Wales in the past financial year - that's 6.0% of the workforce. The most common reason for leaving was voluntary resignation (53.1%